2005 Porsche Boxster

Porsche gets it right.

As compliments go, this one was right up there with telling a proud papa that his new baby girl takes after the old man. ("Look, she's got a mustache, just like you!"). Which explains why Porsche's ace designer Grant Larson had a pained expression on his face when I told him the latest "looks the way it should have in the first place."

We were at 's R&D facility at Weissach, getting our first look at Larson's latest creation, the 2005 Boxster, which is 80-percent new and has a more muscular, aggressive look than its predecessor. It's also a touch wider with a track that's about an inch broader, front and rear.

Like the latest , the new Boxster has larger, slightly flared wheel arches designed to accept optional 19-in.-diameter wheels that replace the standard 17- and 18-inchers that grace the normal and S, respectively.

A higher fenderline that emphasizes the car's beefy stance is accentuated by a higher parting line — the point where the front and rear surrounds mate to the upper body and fenders. Redesigned headlamps are farther apart and set farther back to exaggerate the shape of the wheel arches.

A new nose, set off by a pair of larger air intakes that also house the relocated turn signals, rises smoothly to blend in with the fenders and front decklid. Reconfigured door handles, larger side air intakes and flared rocker panels set off the car's flanks, while at the rear, a more bulbous surround houses redesigned taillamps and a reshaped spoiler, which as before, goes up at 75 mph and retracts at 50.

A completely redesigned cockpit with a new center console and 911-style seats is set off by a fully adjustable steering column with a 3-spoke steering wheel. Although the instrument pod retains its familiar three-dial layout, the speedometer, tach and gauge modules, which feature black faces for the normal Boxster and white faces for the S, are set farther apart for better viewing. And, like the 911 Cabrio, the Boxster's all-new powered top can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 30 mph.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Beneath the skin, the reengineered suspension, which has a sportier feel, features modified geometry, recalibrated springs, shocks and anti-roll bars, and is highlighted by the extensive use of aluminum. Larger-diameter wheel bearings are employed and both Boxster models come standard with variable-ratio power steering and Porsche Stability Management. Cross-drilled, axially vented rotors are standard, though the S has larger rear discs and is available with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes, an expensive option.

In addition to pumping up the Boxster's looks, Porsche engineers also added some muscle to the two engines. A new intake manifold with larger ducting and internal flaps that vary intake runner length and larger, tuned exhaust manifolds help increase output of the two VarioCam-equipped engines to 240 bhp for the base model and 280 for the S. That translates to a slight improvement in acceleration times and a modest increase in top speed (159 mph for the normal and 161 for the S). To accommodate this increase in horsepower, the base model's 5-speed manual has been beefed up, while the S's 6-speed is an all-new gearbox with lower ratios and a lower final drive to accommodate the taller wheels and tires.

For our drive, Porsche laid out a route that took us through the legendary Black Forest — what better place to taste the performance and handling of the new Boxster S? Along with the optional 19-in. wheels, both cars were fitted with Porsche's optional Sports Chrono package that includes a dash-mounted stopwatch and Porsche Active Suspension Management (electronically adjustable shock absorbers). Flick a button on the steering wheel and the shock damping goes to firm, and the drive-by-wire throttle responds to "right now" as you go for an electronically timed personal best lap time.

At $53,100, the 2005 Boxster S costs (and weighs) a bit more than its predecessor. But that's because it has more standard equipment, which makes it a better deal than the old S. Value aside, however, I like the new Boxster because it finally looks and drives the way I would expect it to. And that's a compliment, Mr. Larson.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Road & Track participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.